Floral and display refrigerator.



R. L. TILGHMAN.

FLORAL AND DISPLAY RBFRIGERATOR.

APPLIGATION PILED APB. 15, 1910. 986,875 Patented Mar. 14, 1911.

3 BEEETS-BHBET 1.

R. L. TILGHMAN.

FLORAL AND DISPLAY REFRIGBRATOR.

APPLIOATION FILED APE. 15, 1910.

Patented Mar. 14, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

reference to a device of this character destand.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROSWELL I. TILGHMAN, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, ASSIGNOR TO TILGHMANREFRIGERATOR COMPANY, OF IBIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, A CORPORATION OF ALABAMA.

To all whom ti may co ncem:

Be it known that I, RoswELL L. TILGH- MAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Birmingham, in the County of J efterson and State ofAlabana, have invented new and useful Improvenents in F loral andDisplay Refrigerators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to refrigerators for floral and displaypurposesand has special signed to exhibit fiowers and the like while atthe same time keeping them from fading by chilling the 'atmospheresurrounding them. 4 One object of the invention is to improve thegeneral construction of devices of this character.

A second object of the invention is to provide a refrigerator of thischaracter with an inproved form of revolving display A third object ofthe invention is to proi vide a refrigerator having a revolving displaystand with a novel arrangement of air circulating means.

A fourth object is to provide the several flower stands with removablebottom sections and arrange the stands so that by removing the propersections tall flowers, such as roses and also tall v'ases may rest onone stand and project up through the openings in the stands aboveprovided by the renoval of the sections. This enables me to utilize all'the available display space within the refrigerator and at the same timedisplay both lon and short stemned flowers.

WVith t e above and other objects in view, as will be hereinafterapparent, the invention consists in general of a novel form ofrefrigerator equipped with glazed sides and an improved construction ofrevolving display stand.

The invention further consists in certain novel details of constructionand combinations of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated inthe accompanying drawings and specifically set forth in the claims.

In the acconpanying drawings, like characters of reference indicatelike' parts in the several views, and Figure l is a vertical seci,

tion through a refrigerator constructed in i accordance wth thisnventon. Fg. 2 s a horizontal section of such a refrgerator.

specifica tion of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 15, 1910.

Fig. 3 is :n enlarged detail section taken FLORAL AND DISPLAY-REFRIGERATOR.

Patented Mar. Ll, 1911.

Serial No. 555,665.

ner of securing the glass partitions to the central supporting hub. Fig.5 is a view of the same detail as disclosed in I `ig. 4 but taken atright angles to the'latter. Fig. 6 is a detail section taken through oneof the hubs of the flower supporting stands, the view showing the mannerof securing the hub in place on the central shaft. Fig.` 7 is anenlarged detail vertical section showing the manner of seeuring theglass for the outer casing. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail section of aportion of the floor of the ice chamber, the View being taken at rightangles to Fig. 1. Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail view of the bottomhearing for the central shaft of the device, the view being at rightangles to Fig. 1.

In the construction of the refrigerator there is provided a base 10preferably of octagonal form and from this base there extends' upward aseries of T-bars ll, there being one of these bars at each ccrner of thebase. These corner bars are connected at their tops by neans of angleirons 12 and other angle irons 13 connect the bars 11 at points abovetheir lower ends. Still other an le irons 14 connect the corner bars atponts adjacent to but spaced from their upper ends. Resting on the angleirons 19 is a plate 16 which forms the ceiling of the casing. a

Extending upward and inward from the upper ends of the bars 11 are rootpurlins 17 which are connected at their'upper ends by a cap ring 18 ofangle irons Secured to a cap late 19. Covering the roof are plates 20whel are suitably Secured to the menbers 17 and these plates aresurmounted by a finial 21 of ornamental character.

The walls of this refrigerator are constructed of glass plates and inorder to hold these plates in position a series of Z-bars 22 are Securedto the angle irons 12 on the outer sides thereof. On the outside of thebars 11 and substantially opposite the angles 13 are angle irons 93.Covering the oter 'l'acc of each of the bars 11 is a strip of elasticpacking 24: which extends between the anglc ron 23 and the Z-bar 22Secured to the respective bars 11. Resting against the packings 24 ofadjacent bars 11 is a sheet of pinte glass llt) around the peripheralportion of the outer face of which extends a strip of elastic packing26. Against this packing 26 `rests a sheet of glass 27, preferably cleardouble thick glass of the ordna ry kind. This sheet the trim molding isSecured by means of a set screw passing through the Z-bar and hearingagainst the molding as indicated at 32.* This Construction is carriedentirely around the refrigerator with the exception' of those panelswhich are used to obtain ac cess to the interior of the display chamberand ice box and these panels are provided.

with suitable doors, the Construction of which is' similar to the'panels of the casing and is not deemed necessary to be herein shown; Itis to be observed frbm the foregoing that the walls of the device justdescribed are so arrangedzas to afi'ord'double dead air spaces betweenthe inner and outer sheets of platejglass in ,each panel, therebypreventing the glass sweating and becoming cloudy. Thetpanels can bereadily removed making the refrigerator easy to clean.

Below the glass Construction just described the bars 11 are connected byangle 2 irons 33, between ,which and the angle irons 23 are metal plates34. The outside of the base portion of the'refrigeratoris covered withother metallic plates 35' which lie in spaced relation' to the plates 34so that the base is provided with an air space between its inner andouter walls.

Resting on the angle irons 14 is a plate 36 which is provided with acentral opening 37 surrounded by openings 38 spaced from the centralopening` and each' snrrounded by an upstan'ding fiange 39 On this plateis Secured a series of channel bars 40 with their flanges turneddownward, the bars thus -constituting spaced ribs The space between theplates 16 and 36 constitutes the ice box or chamber and this chamber isdrained by 'means of suitable pipes 41 extending downward behind certainof the bars 11. V V

Resting on the angle irons 13 is a plate'42 provided with a centralopening 43 and a multiplicity 'of small draft p erforations 44.

Through the opening 37 passes a top bearing 45 provided with a 'fiange46, the upper a side of which bears against the under side of the plate36 and this fiange is suitably Secured to the plate. Upon the base 10 isfixed a foot-step hearing 47 which is pro- Vided with an air passageextending through its base portion as indicated at 48. Carried' .in thebearings'45 and 47 is a' hollow or tubular shaft 49 which has its upperend i terminatngclose to the top of the ice chamber and its lower end incommunication with the passage 48. Carried on this shaft just below theupper'bearing is a collar 50 which is fixed upon the shaft byanysuitable means as by the set screw 51. Between the collar 50 andupper bearing ,there is provided a set of balls as indicated at 52. Onthe lower end of thejshaft just above the foot-step hearing is a collar53 fixed to the shaft by a set screw 54 and between this collar and thefoot-step hearing is a second series of central hub 60 provided at itslower end with I an outw'ardly extending flange 61. This hub fitsslidably on the hollow shaft and in order to hold it from movementaround the' sha'ft after it has'been adjusted to the'desired place onthe shaft the hub has a key-.

way cut therein for the reception of a key 62 which can be i forcedinward to grip' tightly against the shaft by means of the set screws 63.In order to prevent thekey from slipping longitudinally out of thekeyway the ends of said key are provided with ligs 64 fitting insuitable rcesses formed in the hub. Extending out w ard from the hub arevertical wings 65, these wiigs being oflset at the bottom to receive thewebs of ribs 66 preferably constructedof T-bars so fitted to the wings'that the Webs of the respectiverib will be fihsh with &he

which it is attache To the fiush faces of the ribs and wings are boltedpartitions of.

plate glass as indicated at 67.` The outer ends of the ribs areconnected together by means of an annular an' gle iron rim 68 soarranged that one flange of the angle iron extends, under the 'ribswhile the other extends vertic'ally upward. The ribs, hub and rim thusprovide a series of segmental spaces 4 and in eah of these spaces ashelf 69 is fitted face of the Wing to' in such manner that it isloosely held on'the .flanges of 'the adjacent ribs so that it canreadily be lifted out. The purpose ofthis afrangement is to permit theexhibition of tall Vases of flowers as shown in Fig'l where one of theshelves of the upper stand is shown as having`been removed for thispur-` pose. Each of the shelf sectionsis provided .with -a multiplicityof air openings' 70 for the purpose of pernitting free circulation ofair about the flowers held on the difl'erent stands. In operation theheated air rises up from the chamber in the base through the centralshaft to the ice chamber. There the air is cooled and passes downthrough the openings 38 where it circulates around the flowers, passingboth around the edges of the plates or shelves and also through theopenings 70. From the flower chamber it passes into the base through theopenings 44 and thence upward as before.

There has thus been provided a simple and eflcient device of the kinddescribed and for the purpose specified.

It is obvious that many ninor changes may be made in the form andproportions of this invention without departing from the materialprinciples thereof. It is not therefore desired to confine the inventionto the exact form herein shown and described, but it is wished toinclude all such as properly come within the scope of the appendedclains.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

1. In a refrigerator of the class described,

an ice chamber having a floor provided with a centrally disposed openingand a plurality of openings surrounding the central opening, a. displaychamber below the ice chamber, a hollow shaft passing through saidcentral opening and forming a vertical air circulation conduitconnecting top and` bottom of the refrigerator, and one or moreperforated display shelves carried by said shaft.

2. In a refrigerator of the class described, an ice chamber having afloor provided with a centrally disposed opening 'and a plurality ofopenings surrounding the central opening, a display chamber below theice chamber and provided with a perforated floor having a centrallydisposed opening alined with the central opening in the floor of the icechamber, a hollow shaft passing through said central openings, the upperend of the shaft terminating adjacent the* top of the ice chamber andthe bottom end of the shaft being 'open near the bottom of therefrigerator, and a display rack mounted on said shaft.

In a refrige'ator of the class described, an ice chamber having a floorprovided with a centrally disposed opening and a pluralitv of openingssurrounding the central opening, a display chamber below the ice chanberand provided with a perforated floor having'a centrally disposed openingalined with the opening in the center of the ice chanber floor, a hollowshaft open at both ends which passes through said central openings, theupper end of the shaft terminating adjacent the top of the ice chamber,and a display rack mounted on said shaft and having a floor providedwith a multiplicity of spaced perforations, said rack floor extendan icechamber having a floor provided with V a centrally disposed opening anda plurality of openings surrounding the central opening, a displaychamber below the ice chamber, a hollow shaft, open at both ends to forman air circulation conduit, which passes through said central openingwith its upper end terminating adjacent the top of the ice chamber, adisplay rack mounted on said shaft, and means to rotate the shatt.

In a refrigerator of the class described, an ice chamber having a floorprovided with a centrally disposed opening and a pluralitv of openingssurrounding the central opening, a display chamber below the ice chanberand provided with a perforated floor having a centrally disposed openingalined with the central opening in the floor of the ice chamber, hollowshaft passing through said central opening. the upper end of the shaftterminating adjacentthe top of the ice chamber, a display rack mountedon said shaft, and means below the floor of the display chamber torotate the shaft.

6. In a refrigerator of the class described, an ice chamber having afloor provided with a centrally disposed opening and a .plurality ing,upturned flanges surrounding said latter openings, a display chamberbelow the ice chamber, a hollow shaft passing through -said centralopening and forming a vertical air circulation passage connecting topand bottom of the refrigerator, the upper end o'f the shaft terminatingadjacent the top of the ice chamber, a display rack mounted on saidshaft and having a floor provided with a multiplicity of spacedperforations, said rack floor extending beneath the openings in thefloor of the ice chamber, bearings for the shaft, means to rotate saidshaft and cause the rack floor to pass beneath the sucv cessive openingsin the floor of the ice chamber, and means to draw off the water fromthe ice chamber.

7. In a display refri erator having transparent walls, a vertica shaftwhich is hollow and open at top and bottom to form an air circulationconduit, a number of display racks mounted one above another on saidshaft, each rack having 'enovable floor sections, and means to hold saidracks against rotative movement relative to one another about saidshalt, substantially as described. c p 8. In a display refrigeratorhaving transparent walls, an ice chamber-at the top, atvertical shaft inthe refrigerator, a series of superposed perforated shelves connected ito said shaft and bottom for the ice chamber having air circulationopenings therein, and means to provide a return air crculation passagefrom the bottom of the 'efrigerator to said ice chamber through saidshaft. n

9. A display refrigerator comprsng transparent side walls, means toprovide a circulation of chilled air lengthwise therethrough; a verticalhollow shaft disposed centrally theein 'and serving as an aircirculation conduit between the top and bottom of the refrigerator,means to rotte said shaft, a series of superposed shelves mounted on androtatable with said shaft and having sectional iperforated bottoms whichare freeiy removable, the bottom sections of said shelves being alike insize' and disposed in 'Vertical alinement, and means to hold saidshelves against relative movement to dis'- ahne their bottom sections,substantially as described. 4 Y

10.111 a refrigerator for the display of flowers and like articles, thecombination with a refrigerating compartment, an ice compartment andmeans to induce a, circulation of chilled air through said refrigerat- Iing compa'tment, of display means therein comprsng a. rotatable shaft, aseres of shelves fixed to said shaft and revoluble therewith and 'eachof which" comprises a rack. and a series of similar detachable floorsections which have perforations for'the circulation of air, said floorsections of the several shelves being arranged in rows in verticalalinement about said shaft, and means,

to dta'chably support said bottom sections in said shelves, theperiphery of the shelves leaving an unobstructed View of the articlesthereon and saidwhole rotatable sheh" arrangement being disposedopposite transparent sections in the refrigerator casng,

substantially as and for the purposes described. V u

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing wit- ROSWELL L. TILGHMAN. witnesses: i

c NoMmWnLsH,

ANNI!? L. PEAGE.

